"It's a great family outing," said Linda Robinson, taking a break between turns.

To accommodate younger bowlers such as the Robinsons' granddaughter, the alley can raise and lower bumpers on the sides of the lanes, which eliminates the need for those cushions that had been used back in the day.

For serious bowlers, Vidad said the lanes have been treated with an oil pattern that provides a "house shot."

That sort of pattern is typical in public bowling centers and should allow really good bowlers to put up big scores.

For competitions, lanes are coated with an oil pattern that is uniform across the entire surface, making it more difficult to pull off the sharp hooks that lead to strikes.

A house oil pattern looks like a Christmas tree, with the top of the tree pointing toward the pins.